2109. A son of thirteen years. That this signifies holy remains, may be seen from the signification of “ten,” as being remains (explained above, n. 576, 1988); and from the signification of “three,” as being what is holy (see n. 720, 901). Thus the number “thirteen,” being composed of ten and three, signifies holy remains. (That numbers in the Word signify actual things, may be seen above, n. 482, 487, 488, 493, 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 893. What the remains with man are, has been stated above, n. 468, 530, 561, 660, 1050, 1906)

561. But what are remains? They are not only the goods and truths that a man has learned from the Lord’s Word from infancy, and has thus impressed on his memory, but they are also all the states thence derived, such as states of innocence from infancy; states of love toward parents, brothers, teachers, friends; states of charity toward the neighbor, and also of pity for the poor and needy; in a word, all states of good and truth. These states together with the goods and truths impressed on the memory, are called remains, which are preserved in man by the Lord and are stored up, entirely without his knowledge, in his internal man, and are completely separated from the things that are proper to man, that is, from evils and falsities. All these states are so preserved in man by the Lord that not the least of them is lost, as I have been given to know from the fact that every state of a man, from his infancy to extreme old age, not only remains in the other life, but also returns; in fact his states return exactly as they were while he lived in this world. Not only do the goods and truths of memory thus remain and return, but also all states of innocence and charity. And when states of evil and falsity recur—for each and all of these, even the smallest, also remain and return—then these states are tempered by the Lord by means of the good states. From all this it is evident that if a man had no remains he must necessarily be in eternal damnation. (See what was said before at n. 468)